Chapter V 



The Finished Product 



THUS far we have considered the factory with its compli- 

 cated machinery, the workmen, invisible but countless 

 in number, and the raw material in multiplied forms. Now 

 our study concerns the finished product,- consisting of the 

 edible carcass, the egg and the byproducts. 



The Carcass 



The flesh of poultry is highly prized. A fowl properly 

 conditioned, well cooked and served is both appetizing and 

 nutritious. 



The process of fattening has been considered in the pre- 

 ceding chapter. When ready for th« market or the table, food 

 should be withheld from fowls for a day until the crop and 

 intestines become empty. They should have an abundance of 

 clean water to flush out the system and at the same time keep 

 the flesh plump and juicy. For the same reason fowls intended 

 for home consumption should be deprived of solid food for at 

 least 12 hours, and provided with plenty of v.'ater. 



Killing. The method of killing is very simple. Instead of 

 wringing the neck, according to an ancient custom, a process 

 which interferes with free bleeding, a knife is used to sever 

 the arteries in the throat. The blade should be long and sharp. 

 Seize the head in the left hand, and with the right hand insert 

 the blade in the mouth until the point reaches the base of the 

 skull. Make a transverse cut on the left side, severing the 

 arteries of the neck. If there is free bleeding, the blade should 

 then be forced through the slit in the roof of the mouth back- 

 wards into the brain and then given a twist. This produces 

 paralysis and means death without pain and with very little 

 struggling. During the process of killing and while being 

 plucked, the fowl should be suspended by a cord. This method 

 of killing results in loosening the feathers so that dry picking 

 becomes an easy task. 



[54] 



